Live Digital

The scale of differentiation necessary to produce an MVIP has historically been determined based on the past behavior and preferences of demand.  People liked to consume IP via books, movies, TV shows and comic books, not via an outline, or a few chapters, or a single picture.

Now, however, the disruption of traditional IP distributors via streaming and social media networks allows IP owner to have more flexibility in terms of production and distribution.

Lil Nas X, for example, is able to distribute his music (his IP) instantly by publishing a song (‘Old Town Road’) on SoundCloud and have it explode in popularity via remixing and UGC on TikTok. Previously, he would have had to wait to be discovered by a record label, who then would decide when to release his music and in what form factor — most likely as an album rather than a single.

Short-form is critical for building audience, but long-form is critical for building engagement.  In the context of today’s revenue share formulas and sponsorship models, high-quality fan engagement will be the key to long-term success as the industry continues to evolve.

What was particularly fascinating, though, was that being in a live audience in the theatre (red line) led to higher highs and lower lows than watching in a small group (yellow line) in my lab. It was even more reduced when people watched the movie alone (brown line) in my lab. In fact, because of the scaling it looks like they flatlined but I can assure you, the peaks and troughs are present, they are simply greatly reduced in size.

Collective effervescence led to emotional enhancement, making the live performance with a big audience that much more impactful.

This is shockingly close to how we approach building internet-driven live experiences with our collaborators and clients today 🤯